UGL Wetlands | SAAE Itabirito

The project "UGL Wetlands: Wastewater sludge treatment using constructed wetlands technology aiming at circular economy and reduction of operational costs" comprises the implementation, operation, and monitoring of a Sludge Management Unit (UGL) using constructed wetlands, on a demonstration scale, in the municipality of Itabirito (MG). Through a partnership between the company Constructed Wetlands and the Itabirito Water and Sewage Service (SAAE Itabirito), the execution of this project aims, through the dissemination of knowledge and use of this technology on a field scale, to contribute to the universalization of sanitation in a sustainable way, since the management of the solid phase, especially sludge, is a determining factor for the success of Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) operations and represents almost 60% of operational costs.

The Constructed Wetlands Sludge Management Unit (UGL Wetlands) in Itabirito was awarded the Good Practices Award in the sanitary sewage category by the Minas Gerais State Secretariat for the Environment and Sustainable Development in 2021. The demonstration-scale system exemplifies how sludge management can be simpler, safer, and more economical, while also being fully aligned with the concepts of circular economy and low-carbon economy.

The sludge treated at the UGL at the end of operational cycles of 2 to 10 years complies with CONAMA Resolution 498/20 and MAPA Normative Instructions 25/2009 and 27/2006 for agricultural sludge disposal. The UGL Wetlands Itabirito was designed and implemented in 2017/2018 and has been operating since then. Activities developed, and still under development, include environmental monitoring of the system, guided tours, production of technical and academic articles, field research, among others.

To learn more about this project, click the button below and watch the presentation video.